Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

From the Bakers Catalogue, King Arthur Flour co. Here's the website

CRUST
1 cup + 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour OR Mellow Pastry Blend
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter*
1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening**
1 to 3 tablespoons ice water
*If you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
**For the flakiest crust, it helps to use cold (rather than room-temperature) butter and shortening.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup diced candied ginger (optional, but good)

PUMPKIN FILLING
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin* OR 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
*Use just plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

Crust: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, pastry fork, your fingers or a mixer (or food processor), cut in the butter and shortening till the mixture is crumbly. Drizzle on the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing to distribute it well. As soon as the mixture is cohesive enough to stick together, gather it into a ball, flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator, and allow it to rest at room temperature till it's warm enough to work with, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how long it's been refrigerated. Flour your work surface, and roll the crust into a 13-inch round. Transfer it to a pie plate that's at least 9 inches wide (inside top measurement) and 1 1/2 inches deep; a giant spatula works well for this task. Gently settle the crust into the plate, and crimp the edges. Note: If your pie plate is less than 1 1/2 inches deep, all of the pumpkin filling won't fit. However, if all you have is a shallower dish, just add as much pumpkin as fits, bake the remainder in a custard cup, serve with whipped cream, and call it pumpkin pudding!

Cheesecake Filling: Remove the cream cheese from its wrapper, and place it in a mixing bowl. Allow it to warm to room temperature (this will make it easier to beat), then add the sugar and beat till fairly smooth. It may appear grainy, or a few lumps may remain; that's OK. Stir in the egg, vanilla and ginger, if you're using it, and spoon the filling into the pie crust.

Pumpkin Filling: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and spices. Add the pumpkin, cream or evaporated milk, and eggs, and whisk gently until smooth. (You don't want to beat a lot of air into this mixture; just be sure it's thoroughly combined.) Gently spoon the pumpkin filling atop the cheesecake layer, filling within 1/4-inch of the top of the crust. Note: Do this carefully at first, so as not to disturb the cheesecake layer; once you've covered the cheesecake, you can be less careful. Depending on the exact depth of your pie pan, you may have leftover filling. Simply pour it into a custard cup or other small baker, and bake it along with the pie, removing it from the oven when it appears set, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Place the pie in a preheated 425°F oven, and bake it for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue to bake for 40 to 45 minutes, covering the edges of the pie with a crust shield or aluminum foil if they seem to be browning too quickly. The pie is done when it looks set, but still wobbles a bit in the center when you jiggle it. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the pie will register 165°F at its center when it's done.) Remove the pie from the oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it till serving time. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with a pinch of ginger and teaspoon of vanilla. Yield: 10 to 12 rich servings.

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